Rotating connection for bascule bridges



Oct. 26 1926b J. B. STRAUSS ROTATING:- CONNECTION FOR BASCULE BRIDGES-Filed Dec. 10, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Ill/I/I/I/fI/I/ 7////////////// 1J. B. STRAUSS ROTATING CONNECTION FOR BASCULE BRIDGES Y Filed Dec. 10,1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I Hm I V n i Patented st. 26, I926.

emmsems JOSEPTI B. STRAUSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

qROTATIIQ'G CONNECTION FOR BASCULE BRIDGES.

Application fileri Deceinber 10, 1921 Serial N0.:521,306.

This invention relates to rotating connections for baseule bridges, andhas for its object to provide a new and in' proved device of thisdescription. j

a liasculc bridges as now constructed are very heavy, and one oftl'ieproblems is to provide suitable rotating connections for them whichwill be strong and durable, and

have a sufficient surface area for the trunnion's,and at the sam'etnnebe of low cost and high efficiency, The invention has among otherobjectsto provide such a rotating connection.

Referring now tothe drawings- Referring now to the drawings wherein Ihave shown'one of the rotating connections, I provide a box or'trunnionsupport 1,, wh1chis mounted upon a fixed support, 10 such as the pier.This box or support has] a plurality of pressure bases 3 and 4. at anangle to each other (see Figs. 2 and 4) so as to properly take care ofthe pressures. The box 2 provided with a cover 5 which as herein shownis divided into a plurality of pieces, preferably both circumferentiallyand logitudinally. Located within the boX is a bushing, consisting oftwo sections, an upper section 6, and a lower section 7. The section 7is of some material which will stand great pressure, such as bronze,while the up per section may be made of softer material, such asbabbitt,. some means is provided for preventing these sections of thebushing from rotating. As herein shown I provide one or more stopdevices 8 which may be simply loose pieces or plates, the ends of whichproject between the two sections of the bushing as shown in Fig. l,these stop devices being clamped between the cover and the other portionof the box by means of the bolts 2) (see Fig. l). These plates may haveholes in them for these bolts if desired.

Mounted in the box or support is a comparatively large cylindrical partor trunnion 10, which gives a large bearing area,

and which mayv be madeof a low cost construction, such as cast steel orthe lilre. This cylindrical part is hollow and is preferably providedwith internal projections 11, which This re and st ll, mainproject intothe hollow thereof. duces theweight and the cost tains the strength.

Located in the hollow of the part 10 is a pin 12 which is comparativelysmall in diameter and which is made of very strong material such asforge steel, and which engages the projections 11. The pin 12 hasprojecting ends which project beyond the part 10 and which engage themain truss of the bridge so as to support .it. Asherein shown there aremembers 13 connected with the main'truss between which thecylindricalpart 10 is received, the projecting ends of the pin 12 beingconnectedwith the members.13"(s'eeFig. 3) Any suitable connection may beused." As sliowirin Fig. 3 the pins are provided withthreaded parts 12 vwhich project beyond the members 13, and

which are engaged by holding nuts 12. The

pin 12, and the cylindrical part 10 are fixed 'withrelation to thenaintruss, and this in the. present construction is secured by means ofbolts 13 which pass through the members 13 and through the cylindricalpart 10.

I prefer to place between the sections of the cover produced by thecircumferential division, aplate 14 (seeFig; 3) which holds the partsthereof inthe position shown iii Fig. 3 when the bolts 15 are tightened.This is for the purpose of facilitating the removal of the cover. WVhenit is desired to recover the cover, the bolts 15 are removed and theplate 14 is also removed, and this permits the two sections to be movedtowards each other so as to free their outer edges and permit them to beeasily removed. I also prefer to provide straight oil grooves 16 on theouter surface of the cylindrical part 10 for the lubricant. Thelubricant may be supplied in any suitable way, and for purposes ofillustration I have shown an oil cup 17 connected by a tube with each ofthese grooves at one end, while the other end is stopped by a plug 18.

lVhen it is desired to clean out these grooves, the plug and grease cupcan be removed, and a cleaner, such as a wire, pushed through the grooveto remove any clogging material therein. I may also provide a seriesFig. 4

This device produces a large bearing with a small support with thelubricated surface in the plane of the main truss. The bearing is madeof two kinds of metal, the large cylindrical part with the bearingsurface being made of a cheaper metal, while the small part taking thebending moment being made of more expensive and stronger metal.

It will be seen that by means of this construction I provide a strong,durable, inexpensive, efficient rotating connection for has culebridges.

I claim:

1. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a hollowcylindrical metal bearing part, surrounding receiving members for saidcylindrical part in which said hollow cylindrical part is rotatablymounted, a pin in said hollow cylindrical part and having the endsprojecting there from, and a connection between theends of said pin andthe main span of the bridge.

2. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a hollowcylindrical metal bearing part, a support therefor, a pin in said hollowcylindrical part in which said hollow cylindrical part is rotatablymounted and having ends which projectbeyond the hollow cylindrical part,said ends adapted to be connectedwith the moving span of the bridge.

3. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a hollowcylindrical metal part with a fixed part in which it is mounted, a pinin said hollow cylindrical part and longer than said cylindrical part,the ends of said pin projecting beyond said cylindrical part, two'members connected with the moving span and between which saidcylindrical part and said fixed part are received, and a connectionbetween said members and the projecting ends of said pin.

4. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a small fixedpin to take the bending moment, and a larger exterior cylindrical metalpart surrounding said pin to reduce frictional resistance, the ends ofsaid pin projecting beyond said cylindrical part, said ends adapted tobe connected with the moving span of the bridge.

5. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a small fixedpin of forge metal to take the bending moment, and a larger exteriorcylindrical part of cast metal surrounding said pin and having anexterior bearing surface, the ends of said pin projecting beyond saidcylindrical part, said ends adapted to be connected with the moving spanof the bridge.

6. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprislng a non-rotatingreceiving part, a hollow cylindrical part having an exterior bearingface and mounted in said re ceiving part, said hollow part having radialprojections extending part way across the hollow thereof, a pin in saidhollow part engaging said projections, the ends of the pin projectingbeyond the hollow part, said ends adapted to be connected with themoving span of the bridge.

7. A rotating connection for bascule bridges comprising a hollowcylindrical part having radial projections projecting partway into thehollow thereof, a pin in the hollow of said cylindrical part surroundedby said projections, the ends of the pin projecting beyond the hollowcylindrical part, said ends adapted to be connected with the moving spanof the bridge.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 6th day ofDecember, 1921.

JOSEPH B. STRAUSS.

